It is well known in motor vehicles to employ an inflatable air bag to restrain an occupant. Air bags are commonly mounted in an air bag module with an inflator for generating gas to inflate the air bag upon sensing predetermined vehicle conditions.
It is known to provide an air bag suited for side impact protection of the torso and/or head of the occupant which is typically located in the vehicle seat, door or side pillar. Air bags used for side impact protection must quickly deploy into a convenient position for side protection of the occupant. For seat-mounted modules, this is typically accomplished in the prior art by providing a horizontally symmetrical, tube-shaped air bag that deploys straight out in a direction that is parallel to the direction of the discharging inflator gas.
Due to packaging constraints, it may be desirable to place the module in the vehicle at a particular height or at a particular angle such that conventional air bag inflation in the direction of the discharging inflator gas places the air bag in a location that is not convenient for side impact protection.